It was a slow week for Gators fans on the surface, but trust me, the heavy leg work is being put in behind the scenes to assemble a stellar staff, salvage a good recruiting class, and put in the building blocks necessary to turn around the Florida Gators football program – one that is not all that far away from major success.
Arms Racing
Last week it was announced an anonymous donor donated $12.5 million (with $12.5 million in matching funds) to renovate Farrior Hall (its new name will be the Otis Hawkins Center for Academic and Personal Excellence). The new Otis Hawkins Center is going to double the size of the building, add 50 new tutoring rooms, three computer laps, an auditorium classroom, a nutrition area and a sports medicine research area.
This donation allows UF to compete in the never ending “arms race” that is taking place in college football. Renovating Farrior Hall, along with the new Indoor Practice Facility set to be complete in June 2015, along with the major renovations in 2008 ($28 million to renovate strength and conditioning facility, Gator room, coaches offices, and the building of the Heavener Football Complex) and 2009 ($5.6 million for new scoreboards), the Gators are competing just fine in the arms race. Sure, UF could renovate their athletic dorms (that lies on the University), or build a new building or two, but all in all, Florida’s facilities are just fine. UF faces a major issue with land issue, water-table issue, and space-issue, but I think they are competing just fine. When UF starts to win again, the whole discussion will become moot.
What is Florida missing? Nothing but pizazz – something that Florida doesn’t need to attract recruits.
Differentials
One of the biggest things that I have been reviewing over the past few weeks is what has made Steve Spurrier and Urban Meyer so successful at Florida (and other places) compared to Will Muschamp. Sure, it is coaching philosophy, player development, recruiting, and more, but ultimately, there are a few differentiators and over the next few months, I want to look at those.
This week we are going to look purely at staffs. There is a famous adage by Ronald Reagan (that is innumerable variations) that says, “Surround yourself with the best people you can find, delegate authority, and don’t interfere as long as the policy you’ve decided upon is being carried out.” Meaning, surround yourself with people that are smarter than you, let them do their job and let them argue with you.
Take a look at the Steve Spurrier coaching tree at Florida, and who was on those staffs: Jim Bates (later NFL defensive coordinator), Ron Zook (later college football head coach), Bob Pruett (later college football head coach), Bob Stoops (later college football head Coach), Bob Hoke (NFL position coach for the past 12 years), Buddy Teevens (later college football head coach), Jedd Fisch (later NFL offensive coordinator), Bob Sanders (later became NFL defensive coordinator), Rod Broadway (later college football head coach), and a host of other coaches that became NFL and college coaches throughout their career.
Then take a look at Urban Meyer’s staff: Dan Mullen (later college head coach), Charlie Strong (later college head coach), Greg Mattison (later NFL defensive coordinator), Doc Holliday (later college head coach), Steve Addazio (later college head coach), Dan McCarney (later college head coach), and a host of other coaches that went on to be NFL and college coaches, including current offensive/defensive coordinators at Marshall, Texas, Virginia Tech, and others.
Ultimately, Will Muschamp struggled with his staff. Only Charlie Weis went on to be a head coach in the college ranks, where he struggled mightily. Dan Quinn is now a very successful NFL defensive coordinator, and likely an NFL head coach soon, but outside of that no other coach is slated to be much more than a position coach, if they are coaching at all.
Ultimately, a very, very, very stark difference.
Bobo to Colorado State
The Rams gain is the Bulldogs loss. Sure, it was easy to blame Mike Bobo at times for some offensive struggle at the University of Georgia, but, he will be a tough guy for Mark Richt to replace has he struggles to get over the hump from a 10-win team to an 11 or 12-win team. Over the last three years as offensive coordinator, Georgia has ranked 22nd, 17th, and 30th in the country in total offense and has ranked 18th, 21st, and 8th in scoring offense – some of the most consistent marks in the country.
With the loss of Mike Bobo, Mark Richt must now join the ranks of schools looking for a new offensive coordinator and the candidates that might normally be available seemed to be all locked up.
Dan’s Rankings of Best Head Coaching Hires for 2015
1. Tulsa – Phillip Montgomery
2. Oregon State – Gary Andersen
3. Florida – Jim McElwain
4. SMU – Chad Morris
5. Buffalo – Lance Leipold
Must Read Articles of the Week
- Dale Russakoff | Schooled
- J.J. McCorvey | The Visible Man
- Nicholas Carlson | What Happened When Marissa Mayer Tried To Be Steve Jobs
- Adrian Chen | The Troll Hunters
- Barry Petchesky | Marshawn Lynch’s Non-Answers To Stupid Questions Have Reports Furious
Song of the Week
On Monday, one of music’s most interesting characters, Joe Cocker, passed away at age 70. Cocker was an incredible blues/soul singer and probably my favorite musical artist that came from Britain. May he rest in peace.
Here is my favorite, and probably man of your favorite, Joe Cocker song.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bbMyksobL-U
Good article except for one thing. There will not be an indoor practice facility by June, 2015. A study is now underway to determine what facilities should be included and the best location. The matter has not been discussed by the UAA Board and no plans are in place.
You’re right about a good staff, but coaches moving on to better places relates to winning. Dan Mullen and Charlie Strong didn’t leave after 4-8 seasons. You’re point about where all of those coaches are and where they’re at or been, well, coaches coach. They don’t turn into car salesmen, so when they leave here, they become coordinators, position coaches, etc.
In my opinion, and it’s just that, the biggest problem with WM staff was that he never hired an OC or staff that would tell him to “leave his offense alone”. No sense in beating a dead horse here, but there were a lot of good coaches on that staff, just never a dominant OC ego, (I know Weis had a huge ego, but this was just a way for him to get another job).